Letters to the Editor: Knits stitch Irish heritage and modern life together
With darling scarves I developed a successful creative outlet and a means to pay my rent. Most importantly, I found belonging through a community of local artisans.
Growing up in the United States, the daughter of an Irish immigrant, Aran sweaters have been a staple of my wardrobe since birth. Warren’s article made me nostalgic for the evolving role woolly jumpers have played throughout my life.
The first time I visited my mother’s hometown of Cork I was gifted a hand-knit cardigan. It was stitched with the traditional honeycomb, diamond, and cable designs Warren mentions. A young girl at the time, I remember cosying up next to a glowing fire and listening to stories told over biscuits. My cousins blew on tin whistles while my uncle bowed the fiddle, playing bouncy jigs in the background. I savoured these memories along with hearty Irish breakfasts.
Back in Cork as a teenager, I proclaimed at a large family dinner: “I’m moving to Ireland.” I was met with long faces, thick tension, and the phrase, “caint san aer”. I didn’t understand it at the time, but the impact of loss and guilt, accompanying my mother’s emigration from Ireland, was not to be trifled with. Promises to move back home should not be made lightly. Embarrassed and exposed, it was my cosy cardigan that wrapped me in a warm hug.
I moved to Dublin in 2001 to study medicine at Trinity. In addition, I got a deep education about the rich tapestry of Ireland’s culture — woven from its Gaelic roots and influenced by centuries of history, music, sport, and family connections.
Clad in Irish knits, I navigated the foreign streets and excelled in my studies. But when a classmate ribbed that I’d fit in better if I didn’t dress like such a tourist, my sense of belonging started to unravel.
Patching together my two selves — Irish and American, I embraced my Irish heritage and taught myself how to knit. Seizing upon the Celtic Tiger I rented a stall at Cow’s Lane Market in Temple Bar and launched Mavourneen Knits. With darling scarves I developed a successful creative outlet and a means to pay my rent. Most importantly, I found belonging through a community of local artisans.
These days, I knit for myself and am currently darning an Aran vest. More than an article of clothing, these Irish knits seamlessly stitch together my heritage with my modern life.
Can I first congratulate President Catherine Connolly on her election success and wish her well. I believe she will be a President we will all be proud off. I also believe that even if there were more nominations on the ballot paper Catherine Connolly would have won the election.
The whip system used in the Dáil by the main political parties was used to block nominations for other independent candidates through the 20 TDs and senators option or the four councils option. Therefore the politicians elected in the 2024 general election — with low turnout of 59% — and council elections in June the same year had control over who was on the ballot paper for the presidential election.
It looks to me that main political parties either do not trust, or fear, the proportional representation-single transferable (PR-STV) system. Had there been more candidates on the ballot paper it could, not alone have helped the main political party candidates, but would have left an historic political map for discussion for years to come. It would have also energised more people to register to vote and vote on the day, like Dublin Central in the general election last year.
An Coimisiún Toghcháin (the Electoral Commission) was tasked with going to universities to encourage young people to register to vote.
The PR–STV system and how fair it is was explained to me and my siblings by our parents before we were 18. It should be part of the curriculum in secondary schools before university. I was allowed at 14 to be a polling clerk in Aghamore polling station for East Mayo (three seats) constituency in the 1977 general election.
The recent election of mayor of New York Zohran Mandani stole our thunder. We should have been able to show how fair and inclusive we are in allowing more nominations in our election for President of Ireland which would give a voice to as many people as possible in our country.
We need a different nomination system to give voice to the people and have a referendum on same.
On October 15 the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) and the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the University of Galway published a report on the Garda response to a pro-Palestine protest at Dublin Port.
Christy Galligan, retired garda sergeant, refers to the ICCL as “a constant critic of An Garda Síochána”, and that gardaí should not be “subject to biased analysis” — ‘Rioting in Citywest should give us pause for thought’ (Irish Examiner, letters, October 30).
The report in question was based on video and photographic evidence collected by members of the Irish Network of Legal Observers, an independent network which was established by ICCL and the Irish Centre for Human Rights this year.
The purpose of the report was to draw attention to policing responses which do not comply with human rights obligations and Garda policy. The indiscriminate use of pepper spray at the protest, as documented by the legal observers, was in violation of the internal Garda policy regulating its use. The use of batons close to the heads of protesters was disproportionate.
Legal observers are independently trained to monitor the policing of protest. They take detailed notes, photos and videos, and following a protest, they draft factual reports based on the evidence gathered. Their work in other jurisdictions, including Australia, the UK, and Canada, has led to positive changes in police behaviour.
The Irish Network of Legal Observers is overseen by a steering committee comprised of international experts and academics.
Mr Galligan wondered whether we also wrote an analysis of the recent Citywest riots on October 21-23. One of the guiding principles of the legal observer network is it does not observe protests which seek to infringe or undermine human rights, in this case the rights of people seeking international protection. ICCL strongly condemns the violence at the Citywest riots and commends the gardaí for bravely protecting residents in the Citywest Hotel, as well as the wider community.
As we witness increasing restrictions on peaceful protest and civic space worldwide, the work of the network is vital. Peaceful protest, including acts of non-violent civil disobedience (such as traffic disruption and sit-ins), is a core democratic right and should not be criminalised. Members of the network will continue to monitor the policing of protest and highlight any Garda actions that violate fundamental rights.
We hope that An Garda Síochána, which is required by law to take a human rights-based approach to policing, will take on board the observations and recommendations of the network and facilitate the right to peaceful protest.
Jess Casey wrote about the “school staffing crisis” — ‘More than 1m school days covered by substitutes last year’ , November 11).
As a retired teacher I have to say that the pay and working conditions currently available to teachers make the job a no-go area.
Since ‘the crash’ all second-level teachers have either to do unpaid supervision and substitution or take an equivalent pay cut; new teachers receive no master’s degree allowance as their older colleagues once did but instead must do a two- year post-graduate master’s degree at a cost of over €8,000. And as if all of that wasn’t bad enough they are then expected to work for a lower rate of pay than previously. Why would one bother?
